Corra Group has ramped up its business research services in anticipation of increased business activity now that the federal government has been reopened and the debt ceiling controversy has been at least temporarily resolved. The El Segundo based company expects both corporations and smaller businesses to try and close deals before the next financial crisis.

“Our clients told us they were putting deals on hold until the latest political crisis in Washington had been resolved,” said Corra Group Co-Founder, Gordon Basichis. “The closing of the government and the growing concern that the federal government was going over the cliff and defaulting on its loans created enormous uncertainty. There was so much speculation, it just made people nervous.

“If the government did default then there was a strong probability that interests rates would spike. And if interest rates went up the higher cost of doing business might lower the demand for goods and services. Deals in place, such as partnerships, mergers, and co-ventures, are suddenly not as viable as they were a couple of months ago. They can fall by the wayside.”

Since the economic downturn of the Great Recession, employee theft has been on the rise. It is not just notepads and pencils anymore, but the theft of sensitive databases and proprietary information. Client lists are often stolen, and quite often by those employees who have been dismissed or have taken another job.

Such theft can put a big dent in your business. While background checks and professional reference checks are helpful in the aftermath, when hiring a new employment candidate, at this juncture they probably will do you little good.

According to a synopsis of an article in the Wall Street Journal…”Technology has made it easier for departing employees to steal company information. Rather than sneak out documents, they need only download company information to a mobile device or upload it to an online storage service. A recent survey by the Ponemon Institute and Symantec Corp. reveals that 50 percent of employees polled had taken confidential documents with them when they switched jobs. Security experts say employers can guard against information theft by understanding what data must be protected, where it is stored, and the level of access granted to every employee. Companies should avoid having sensitive information stored in different computer systems and among different departments or business units, and they should automatically revoke access when an employee leaves. They also can track sensitive information using data-loss prevention software and should ensure communication between information technology security managers and the human resources department to keep abreast of pending layoffs and other personnel issues.”

The article also suggests that legal or privacy experts share information pertaining to data theft, etc. with human resources human resources. The article cautions that laws differ in various countries.

Corra Group is now offering the expanded Pre-Employing Screening or PSP reports for the Trucking and Transportation Industry. The expanded PSP Report is put out by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and includes three years of crash history and five years of roadside inspection history for commercial drivers.

“We are happy to be adding the expanded PSP report to our list of background checking services we offer to the trucking and transportation industry,” said Corra Group Co-Founder, Nick Gustavson. “While the PSP report is not DOT mandated it makes driver safety data available to the human resources personnel responsible for hiring drivers of large trucks and busses.

“In addition to the PSP report, Corra Group offersMotor Vehicle Driving Records, or MVRS, as well as criminal background checks, DOT compliant drug screening and a DOT random management drug consortium.” said Gustavson. “Corra Group is a one-stop for nearly all DOT compliance mandates.”

Gustavson pointed out the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration recently completed a safety impact analysis on the Pre-Employment Screening Program (PSP). FMCSA evaluated transportation companies that used PSP to screen commercial drivers on at least a monthly basis between 2010 and 2012. The study findings revealed that companies that use the PSP reports, on average, lowered their crash rates by 8% and driver out-of-service rates by 17%.

Though it now looks as if a deal is imminent to end the Congressional budget impasse, refund the federal government, and avoid default, should the deal not materialize the fate of U.S. Federal Courts remains uncertain. In the face of Thursday, October 17’s default deadline, the U.S. Eastern District Court of Pennsylvania has issued an order declaring many of its workers essential, which gives the impression that courts will continue to operate regardless of a default. This release by Hon. Theodore A. McKee, Chief Circuit Judge of New Jersey’s Third Judicial Circuit seems to confirm that the courts will remain open, but unknown is how a default will affect court record research. According to reports, the compromise being negotiated in the Senate will only fund the government through January 15 and raise the debt ceiling through February 7. The proposed deal would require both houses to appoint members to a budget conference that would establish a plan for broader deficit reduction in December. As this report in the online magazine Slate points out, U.S. courts have already been contending with sequester budget shortfalls. Whether a default will represent a new crisis or more of the same is unclear at this time. Even if a deal can be brokered in time to avoid default, U.S. courts may face further cutbacks.

Rest assured, we will be monitoring the situation closely and will keep you apprised of any changes in service as things develop.